


Just for one moment touch the sky

by JuliaBaggins



Series: Our favourite Exy players at the Olympics [3]
Category: All For the Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: M/M, Olympics, The US team has just won an Olympic gold medal, and everyone is happy, at first this is erik's pov, happiness, then neil's and then jean's
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-18
Updated: 2016-09-18
Packaged: 2018-08-15 20:50:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8072305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuliaBaggins/pseuds/JuliaBaggins
Summary: The Olympic final ends with a win for the US team. Neil, Andrew, Kevin, Jean and Jeremy win a gold medal, Nicky and Erik are there to watch and there's a lot of happiness.





	

The referee ended the game and it was like someone had set the whole stadium on fire; there was electricity in the air, shouts, cheering, people dancing, tears, a kaleidoscope of various emotions. In the middle of all of this, Erik Klose was standing still, his eyes fixed on Nicky Hemmick’s face rather than the court. Nicky was shaking, tremors running through his whole body, tears on his cheeks, his gaze directed towards the bunch of Exy players standing close to each other on the court. Nicky was looking at Andrew, at his cousin, and Erik had never seen his fiancée smile this proud.

Before he had met Nicky, Erik had never had a particular interest in Exy – football was his love, he used to play himself in his free time, there was no Bundesliga match he missed on TV and he had a poster of Miroslav Klose right above his bed. And then, the whirlwind that was Nicky Hemmick appeared in his life, and Erik not only feel in love with him, with his laugh, his passion, his humor, his quiet smiles, his devotion to those close to him, no, he also came to the conclusion that Exy wasn’t too bad. Now, years later, Erik had become quite a fan himself, and even if he hadn’t done so – when the cousin of the love of your life is participating in an Olympic final you should be there. And Erik was glad that he was.

“They made it”, Nicky whispered, and it was the first thing he had said since the game had come to an end. Since it was settled that the US’s team had won an Olympic gold medal.

“Yes Liebling, they did it”, Erik said with a smile before he took Nicky in his arms.

 

It was not long after that Nicky was crying again, and the reason was the sight of an Olympic gold medal being placed around Andrew’s neck. Andrew’s usual bored expression wasn’t flickering, but right next to him, Erik could see Neil Josten’s face on the video wall. Neil was smiling at Andrew, his whole face lighting up, and when he got a medal himself, his expression turned to one of wonder. They saw how he touched the shining metal, careful, as if it was a dream that could turn to dust at any moment, and shortly after, the camera continued to focus on the next face.

Erik cast his gaze to the court again, to the two shortest figures in a row of oh so proud Exy players, and he wasn’t sure as it was quite some distance between them, but he thought he saw them holding each other’s hands. And this idea made the smile that already decorated his face even wider. He remembered first meeting Andrew; a calm voice telling him what would happen to him if he would hurt Nicky, a dangerous glimmer in his eyes. Over the years, he had gotten more and more glimpses of him. There was a memory that still sent shivers down his back, Nicky calling him in the middle of the night, his voice shaking so much that it took Erik some time to figure out what had happened in Columbia. Another time, Nicky had called him to scream “Oh my, Neil and Andrew, can you _believe_ this? Grundgütiger!”, and though he had seen the two of them together quite a few times over the last few years, he wouldn’t say that he understood them. Their relationship seemed… unique, and Erik was happy for them. He didn’t know everything about their pasts, wouldn’t say he understood what was between them, but unlike Nicky, he didn’t mind. Erik had seen the way Neil and Andrew sometimes looked at each other, how they always seemed to be aware of each other’s presence in a crowded room, how they stood closer to each other than anyone else. And though he had never seen them kiss, heard them talk about their feelings for each other or anything like this, he knew they were in love just as much as Nicky and him, though they might express it in a different way. And wasn't this a beautiful thing.

 

While Erik pressed a kiss to Nicky’s hair, holding him close to his heart, Neil Josten felt a single tear sliding down his cheek. He looked down, at the piece of metal hanging around his neck, the physical proof of what they had just achieved. They had won. They had won an Olympic final. They were world champions. All of them. And somehow, this felt better than the win itself – the knowledge that he shared it with the people most dear to him. 

It was not just winning an Olympic gold medal.

It was Andrew, his hand in Neil’s, keeping him grounded in the storm of his overwhelming emotions. It was the proud look in Kevin’s eyes, it was Jeremy’s laugh, it was the rare and genuine smile on Jean’s lips. It was the video message Renee had sent in the morning to wish them good luck. It was Dan, Matt and Allison celebrating in the front row, waving a US flag while jumping up and down in celebration. It was Nicky, Erik, Aaron and Katelyn standing behind them together with Wymack, Abby and Bee. It was so much at once, but most of all, it was him being able to share this incredible moment with his family.

 

In the evening, Neil found himself on the roof of the fancy club their team was celebrating their won final in. Andrew was sitting by his side, the cigarette he held in his hand illuminating the gold medal he was still wearing in an out worldly light.

“I thought by now you would have understood not to look at me like that.”

Neil didn’t answer, he just kept looking at Andrew until he had finished smoking. Then, Andrew turned his head, facing him, and they were alone in the world; there was nothing but Andrew’s eyes, a question, the whispered Yes passing Neil’s lips. There was nothing in the world but Andrew kissing him, his hand curling around Neil’s neck, the clear singing sound their gold medals made while clicking against each other when they kept kissing more passionately.

 

At the same time, Jeremy excused Jean and himself from the party, hugging everyone an enthusiastic goodbye. He may have been a little tipsy, but surely not as much as Kevin who was currently sitting at a table in the corner, arm in arm with his father while both of them were singing “We are the champions”. Jeremy couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight and when Kevin noticed his look and started waving at him, Jeremy waved back. 

A cool breeze was ruffling through Jeremy’s curls and he was thankful for Jean’s arm around him, keeping him close to his warmth. They didn’t talk for some minutes, not until they reached a quiet park and both looked at a bench, illuminated by a single lantern. Jean sat down and guided Jeremy to lay down half on top of him, so his head was in Jean’s lap, allowing him to play with Jeremy’s curls. Jeremy was humming quietly under his breath and it seemed as Kevin’s “We are the champions” – singing had gotten into his ear. Jean smiled, and then he started talking.

“I never imagined it to be like this.”

Jeremy opened his eyes he had closed just moments before and blinked up at his boyfriend. He stayed silent, offering nothing but an encouraging smile as they both knew that Jean would tell him what he wanted, and that Jeremy would never push for more.

“When he…”, a deep breath, “Riko. He would sometimes talk about this, about winning at the Olympics and I… it never sounded like something _happy._ Just like something he could add to the list of his success, and I never craved it, I…” _I was sure I would have ended all of this long before I’d ever have the chance to participate in the Olympics._

Jeremy carefully reached up, placing a gentle hand right above Jean’s heart. Jean covered it with his own while a smile played around his lips.

“It’s just… I’m happy. And there was a long time when I, when I wouldn’t have thought this to be possible, but I’m… I’m so relieved and so happy that we won. I’m happy for our friends, and _I’m_ happy. That we… I love you, Jeremy Knox.”

Jeremy leaned up until his eyes were at the same height as Jean’s.

“And I love you, Jean Moreau. Je t'aime.”

When a bright smile appeared on Jean’s lips, Jeremy leaned in to kiss him, and later, when they were walking back to their hotel, hand in hand, Jean could see the stars above them.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is taken from Gloria Estefan's "Reach", as always.
> 
> Nice comments would make my day! ♡


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